Skip to main content
Log in

Incidence and severity of blackleg caused by Leptosphaeria spp. in juncea canola (Brassica juncea L.) in Australia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Australasian Plant Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Juncea canola (Brassica juncea L.) is being developed throughout the worlds canola growing countries as a drought tolerant, shatter resistant and highly blackleg resistant option to canola (Brassica napus L.). Juncea canola was grown commercially in Australia for the first time in 2007. This study determined the incidence and severity of blackleg infection in juncea canola prior to commercial release throughout south-eastern Australia in 2006 and 2007, and then again 5 years after commercialisation (2010–2013) to determine if blackleg severity had increased. Blackleg was found at all 127 sites surveyed throughout Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. The severity of blackleg infection differed among sites and among the juncea canola cultivars and breeding lines suggesting that differences in resistance may be present. This is the first report that L. maculans isolates virulent on B. juncea are already widespread throughout the Australian canola growing regions and contradicts the widespread opinion that B. juncea is immune to blackleg. This also demonstrates that blackleg infection was already occurring in juncea canola prior to commercialisation of this crop in Australia and that disease management strategies similar to those used in canola cultivation will need to be implemented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balesdent MH, Attard A, Kühn ML, Rouxel T (2002) New avirulence genes in the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Phytopathology 92:1122–1133

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balesdent MH, Barbetti MJ, Li H, Sivasithamparam K, Gout L, Rouxel T (2005) Analysis of Leptosphaeria maculans race structure in a world-wide collection of isolates. Phytopathology 95:1061–1071

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balesdent MH, Fudal I, Ollivier B, Bally P, Grandaubert J, Eber F, Chèvre A, Leflon M, Rouxel T (2013) The dispensable chromosome of Leptosphaeria maculans shelters an effector gene conferring avirulence towards Brassica rapa. New Phytol 198:887–898

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ballinger DJ, Salisbury PA (1996) Seedling and adult plant evaluation of race variability in Leptosphaeria maculans on Brassica species in Australia. Aust J Exp Agric 36:485–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barret P, Guérif J, Reynoird JP, Delourme R, Eber F, Renard M, Chèvre AM (1998) Selection of stable Brassica napus-B. juncea recombinant lines resistant to blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) 2: a ‘to and fro’ strategy to localise and characterise interspecific introgressions on B. napus genome. Theor Appl Genet 96:1097–1103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brun H, Levivier S, Somda I, Ruer D, Renard M, Chèvre AM (2000) A field method for evaluating the potential durability of new resistance sources: application to the Leptosphaeria maculans-Brassica napus pathosystem. Phytopathology 90:961–966

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brun H, Chèvre AM, Fitt BDL, Powers S, Besnard AL, Ermel M, Huteau V, Marquer B, Eber F, Renard M, Andrivon D (2010) Quantitative resistance increases the durability of qualitative resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus. New Phytol 185:285–299

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burton W, Salisbury P, Potts D (2003) The potential of canola quality Brassica juncea as an oilseed crop for Australia. In ‘13th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas’. Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia pp. 62–64

  • Burton WA, Flood RF, Norton RM, Field B, Potts DA, Robertson MJ, Salisbury PA (2008) Identification of variability in phenological responses in canola-quality Brassica juncea for utilisation in Australian breeding programs. Aust J Agric Res 59:874–881

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chèvre AM, Barret P, Eber F, Dupuy P, Brun H, Tanguy X, Renard M (1997) Selection of stable Brassica napus-B. juncea recombinant lines resistant to blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans). 1. Identification of molecular markers, chromosomal and genomic origin of the introgression. Theor Appl Genet 95:1104–1111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colton B, Potter TD (1999) History. In ‘In: Canola in Australia: the first thirty years’. (Eds PA Salisbury, TD Potter, M G, AG Green). (Published for the 10th International Rapeseed Congress, Canberra, Australia

  • Delourme R, Chèvre AM, Brun H, Rouxel T, Balesdent MH, Dias JS, Salisbury P, Renard M, Rimmer SR (2006) Major gene and polygenic resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Eur J Plant Pathol 114:41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eber F, Lourgant K, Brun H, Lode M, Huteau V, Coriton O, Alix K, Balesdent MH, Chèvre AM (2011) Analysis of Brassica nigra chromosomes allows identification of a new effective Leptosphaeria maculans resistance gene introgressed in Brassica napus. 13th International rapeseed congress, Prague 5–9 June 2011

  • Elliott VL, Marcroft SJ, Norton RM, Salisbury PA (2011) Reaction of Brassica juncea to Australian isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans and Leptosphaeria biglobosa ‘canadensis’. Can J Plant Pathol 33:38–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howlett BJ (2004) Current knowledge of the interaction between Brassica napus and Leptosphaeria maculans. Can J Plant Pathol 26:245–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirk JTO, Oram RN (1978) Mustards as possible oil and protein crops for Australia. J Aust Inst Agric Sci 44:143–156

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Sivasithamparam K (2003) Breakdown of a Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris single dominant blackleg resistance gene in B. napus rapeseed by Leptosphaeria maculans field isolates in Australia. Plant Dis 87:752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long Y, Wang Z, Sun Z, Fernando DWG, McVetty PBE, Li G (2011) Identification of two blackleg resistance genes and fine mapping of one of these two genes in a Brassica napus cultivar ‘Surpass 400’. Theor Appl Genet 122:1223–1231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marcroft SJ, Purwantara A, Salisbury PA, Potter TD, Wratten N, Khangura R, Barbetti MJ, Howlett BJ (2002) Reaction of a range of Brassica species under Australian conditions to the fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, the casual agent of blackleg. Aust J Exp Agric 42:587–594

  • Marcroft SJ, Sprague SJ, Pymer SJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2004) Crop isolation, not extended rotation length, reduces blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) severity of canola (Brassica napus) in south-eastern Australia. Aust J Exp Agric 44:601–606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcroft SJ, Elliott VL, Cozijnsen AJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ, Van de Wouw AP (2012) Identifying resistance genes to Leptosphaeria maculans in Australian Brassica napus cultivars based on reactions to isolates with known avirulence genotypes. Crop Pasture Sci 63:338–350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mendes-Piereira E, Balesdent MH, Brun H, Rouxel T (2003) Molecular phylogeny of the Leptosphaeria maculans-L. biglobosa species complex. Mycol Res 107:1287–1304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray GM, Brennan JP (2012) The current and potential costs from diseases of oilseed crops in Australia. Grains Research and Development Corporation, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Oram RN, Kirk JTO, Veness PE, Hurlstone CJ, Edlington JP, Halsall DM (2005) Breeding Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] for cold-pressed, edible oil production — a review. Aust J Agric Res 56:581–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer KM, Dunse K, Howlett BJ (1994) Non-aggressive strains of the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, are present in Australia and can be distinguished from aggressive strains by molecular analysis. Aust J Bot 42:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Purwantara A, Salisbury PA, Burton WA, Howlett BJ (1998) Reaction of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) lines to Australian isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans under glasshouse and field conditions. Eur J Plant Pathol 104:895–902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rouxel T, Penaud A, Pinochet X, Brun H, Goutl D, Schmit J, Balesdent MH (2003) A 10-year survey of populations of Leptosphaeria maculans in France indicates a rapid adaptation towards the Rlm1 resistance gene of oilseed rape. Eur J Plant Pathol 104:871–881

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saal B, Brun H, Glais I, Struss D (2004) Identification of a Brassica juncea derived recessive gene conferring resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in oilseed rape. Plant Breed 123:505–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sprague SJ, Marcroft SJ, Hayden HL, Howlett BJ (2006) Major gene resistance to blackleg in Brassica napus overcome within three years of commercial production in southeastern Australia. Plant Dis 90:190–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van de Wouw AP, Thomas VL, Cozijnsen AJ, Marcroft SJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2008) Identification of Leptosphaeria biglobosacanadensis’ on Brassica juncea stubble from northern New South Wales, Australia. Australas Plant Dis Notes 3:124–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van de Wouw AP, Marcroft SJ, Barbetti MJ, Li H, Salisbury PA, Gout L, Rouxel T, Howlett BJ, Balesdent MH (2009) Dual control of avirulence in Leptosphaeria maculans towards a Brassica napus cultivar with ‘sylvestris-derived’ resistance suggests involvement on two resistance genes. Plant Pathol 58:305–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vincenot L, Balesdent MH, Li H, Barbetti MJ, Sivasithamparam K, Gout L, Rouxel T (2008) Occurrence of a new subclade of Leptosphaeria biglobosa in Western Australia. Phytopathology 98:321–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yu F, Lydiate DJ, Rimmer SR (2005) Identification of two novel genes for blackleg resistance in Brassica napus. Theor Appl Genet 110:969–979

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yu F, Lydiate DJ, Rimmer SR (2008) Identification and mapping of a third blackleg resistance locus in Brassica napus derived from B. rapa subsp. sylvestris. Genome 51:64–72

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Australia for funding. We also thank the Department of Environment and Primary Industries Victoria, the Department of Primary Industries New South Wales and the South Australian Research and Development Institute for allowing the survey to take place within their yield trial sites. The authors thank Professor Barbara Howlett, Dr Grant Hollaway and Dr Angela Van de Wouw for critical comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. L. Elliott.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Elliott, V.L., Norton, R.M., Khangura, R.K. et al. Incidence and severity of blackleg caused by Leptosphaeria spp. in juncea canola (Brassica juncea L.) in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathol. 44, 149–159 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-014-0337-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-014-0337-0

Keywords

Navigation